1. Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to a dispensing device, and specifically to a dispensing device that can be used with viscous products.
2. Related Inventions
Previously, other types of dispensing devices have been designed to advance a product upwards in a container, but none have the advantages in design as stated in the present invention.
The present application applies where the value of the product is such that the user desires a large quantity of a viscous product in a vertical container. The larger, taller container is desired because viscous product inside a smaller, shallower container would be easily accessible to the user, but not as economical to buy. In a taller container, as the user manually removes the product, the level of the top of the product lowers inside. As the product level gets lower inside the container, the user tends to soil their hands and the handles of utensils they use while attempting to extract the product.
There are previous dispensing devices where a push top pump acts to dispense the product, but those designs are not practical where the product has a high viscosity, such as with peanut butter. A flexible squeeze tube design is also not practical for most users of large vertical containers of viscous product. An advancing plunger design would perform better in this application for moving a viscous product.
There are elongated plunger designs, such as those used for cookie presses, where the plunger stem and handle are external, below the product container. However, for those designs, the elongated stem of the plunger would take up a great deal of vertical shelf space. Also, when the container is full of product, the device would be top heavy. The high center of gravity in the container would make the device susceptible to tipping over. An elongated plunger would be awkward to use and to store in this type of application.
There are screw-feed assembly devices, such as those commonly used for dispensing solid sticks of deodorant or lipstick. Examples of these patents include U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,496 and 6,435,748. These devices are used with solid or gel products, and they have a central threaded member that rotates and thereby moves a plunger and the product upwards inside the container. However, the central threaded member rotates through and is in direct contact with the product.
There are viscous products such as peanut butter, where it is desired that the integrity and purity of the product be maintained. If the central threaded member was in direct contact with the product, it would provide an avenue for contamination to be communicated from the area below the plunger to the product chamber above. The object is to keep the product above the plunger separate from the feeding mechanism below. The design objective is to have a screw-feed assembly where the central threaded member does not penetrate the plunger, nor contact the product above, but such assembly would provide sufficient advancement elevation of the plunger inside the container.